2026 HSMAI Adrian Awards Open for Entry

McLean, VA – Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) today announced that submissions are now open for the 2026 Adrian Awards, marking the 70^th anniversary of the travel industry's premier awards competition, recognizing excellence in hospitality and travel marketing.

For 70 years, the Adrian Awards have celebrated the campaigns, brands, agencies and professionals whose creativity, innovation, and strategic vision have elevated the hospitality and travel industry. As the industry evolved, the Adrian Awards have evolved alongside it, recognizing the ideas and achievements that continue to shape the future of travel marketing.

The 2026 Adrian Awards will honor outstanding work across 34 categories spanning advertising, public relations, integrated marketing, digital innovation, social media, experiential campaigns and more. New categories for this year’s competition include the Best-of categories, designed to highlight the most innovative and stand-out campaigns within airlines, attractions, cruise lines, Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), hotel or resort, OTA, restaurant/dining, and short-term rentals. Winners will be recognized on Thursday, March 4, 2027 during the Adrian Awards Celebration at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

The Adrian Awards have commemorated the very best in hospitality and travel marketing for 70 years, celebrating the ideas, campaigns, and people who continue to move our industry forward. As we mark this milestone anniversary, we’re proud to honor both the remarkable legacy of the Adrian Awards and the innovative work that will define the next generation of travel marketing. We look forward to celebrating another exceptional class of winners.

Brian Hicks, President and CEO of HSMAI

2026 Adrian Awards Entry Categories:  

• Advocacy Leadership & Community Impact, in partnership with Destinations International

• AI Powered Marketing

• Best Airline Campaign

• Best Attraction Campaign

• Best Cruise Campaign

• Best DMO Campaign

• Best Hotel or Resort Campaign

• Best OTA Campaign

• Best Restaurant/Dining Campaign

• Best Short-Term Rental Campaign

• Broadcast, Streaming or Audio

• Business-to-Business/Trade Campaign

• Commercial Strategy Innovation

• Consumer Brand Campaign

• Content Marketing

• Contest/Sweepstakes

• Creator & Influencer Marketing

• Customer Experience Innovation

• Experiential Marketing

• Feature Placement Consumer Media (magazine or newspaper): Online or Print

• Feature Placement Trade Media: Online or Print

• Marketing Innovation

• New Opening/Launch

• Personalization & Loyalty Marketing

• Print Collateral

• Relaunch of Existing Property or Product

• Reputation Management

• Search & Performance Marketing

• Social Media Engagement

• Special Event

• Sustainability & Stewardship

• Technology, Data & Analytics Excellence

• Video

• Website

Submissions will be reviewed and scored on Marketing Objectives, Creativity, Quality, Content, and Results, with Gold, Silver, and Bronze honors awarded. Gold recipients will be eligible for Platinum Award consideration, with Platinum honorees advancing for the opportunity to receive Best of Show recognition across paid, earned, owned and integrated/multi-channel marketing categories.

The deadline to submit entries is September 15, 2026. Full details regarding submission requirements, eligibility criteria and category information are available at adrianawards.hsmai.org.

Submissions are evaluated by a panel of more than 200 seasoned professionals from across the fields of hospitality, media, digital marketing, and communications. Each entry is reviewed independently by multiple judges and scored across five equally weighted criteria: objectives, strategy, creativity, execution, and results.

To support and align with the industry’s top marketers and most innovative campaigns, consider becoming a 2026 Adrian Awards partner. For sponsorship inquiries, contact Mat Havrilla at [email protected].